H.E. Pon Sok: The Asian Youth Games and SEA Games in Thailand selected based on ability, no strings attached

Phnom Penh: Speaking to reporters after a meeting with athletes and federation leaders preparing to participate in the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain in 2025 in the morning of April 11, 2025 at the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, H.E. Pon Sok, Director General of the Directorate General of Sports, clearly emphasized that for both events, the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain and the 33rd SEA Games hosted by Thailand in 2025, athletes who are selected to represent the country must be truly capable, both coaches and athletes, meaning that the selection has no strings or partisanship whatsoever. On the other hand, even though athletes are seen to be capable but no discipline and ethics, they must be replaced by other athletes who are less capable than the good athletes but lack discipline.

His Excellency added that, for the selection, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports will selects in a transparent manner by establishing a clear, honest, fair selection commission, without any pre-selection.

It note that, in 2025, Cambodia has two major missions in which it will send athletes representing its country to compete in large-scale events. The first event is to participate in the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain from October 22 to 31, 2025, by sending 17 sports, while the 33rd SEA Games, hosted by Thailand, will take place in December 2025, and plans to send 39 potential sports that have been won medals in the SEA Games 2023, hosted by Cambodia.